Horror DVDs
Looking for ideas about good horror DVDs to rent or buy for your horror movie collection? Here are some suggestions. I can imagine not one person reading this horror list will like every one of these movies, even if you love great horror. About half are recently released horror DVDs, which means I'm listing some of the most notable news releases and not always the best horror DVD collection in movie history or anything like that.
That being said, I have included some of the best horror movies from the last few years, as well as some recommended horror films from the years past. Most are pretty familiar titles, so fans of horror are likely to have seen a lot of them. Hopefully, everyone will find one or two they can enjoy for the first time or watch again and give a second review. As for me, I had forgotten a few of these existed, until I started thinking about some of my horror DVD favorites.
Saw V - Jigsaw is dead, but Hoffman isn't, so he's on a campaign to destroy any evidence that will link him to everyone favorite annoying serial killer. Also, lots of people die in strange and horrifying ways.
Drag Me To Hell - Sam Raimi directs his first horror movie since Evil Dead 2 (or maybe Army of Darkness, if you consider that horror). Follow the life of a hottie and the gypsy curse she may or may not be under. That guy from the Mac commercials is the boyfriend.
Final Destination - Watch the movie that started it all. What happens when a bunch of hot young people miss out on their big chance to die? Death doesn't like being cheated, so it's time for our cast to die in terrifically horrible ways.
Suspiria - If you ever wanted to rent a Dario Argento movie DVD to see what all the talk is about, you could do worse than 1977's Suspiria. About a young American woman who starts attending to a European school and starts being haunted by all kinds of crazy stuff, only to learn that the school has been inhabited by witches for generations.
Otis - When a teen is tortured by a psycho killer named Otis and actually escapes to tell the tale, her parents decide to take matters into their own hands to see this madman never kills again.
Slasher Horror DVDs
Halloween - The one that started it all. It's got the freaky looking guy in the painted William Shatner mask, the creepy John Carpenter music and the obsessive Dr. Sam Loomis, portrayed by the inimitable Donald Pleasence. This one takes us back to the days when slashers were cool.
Rob Zombie's Halloween Remake - For those who wanted to sympathize with Michael Meyers and know he was driven to murder people because he was bullied in school, Rob Zombie offered his reimagining of the Michael Meyers legend. While a few purists criticized, Rob Zombie's Halloween was a freaking huge success.
Wrong Turn - When a group of 20-something friends take a wrong turn while traveling through the Appalachians, it's a rule that lots of people have to die. This time, the killers are of the familiar mutant hillbilly, and you get to see Elisha Dushku fight to save her life.
Behind The Mask: The Legend of Leslie Vernon - We get to see a spoof of slasher horror. Student filmmakers film a documentary about a slasher who's about to go on a murderous rampage, seeing all the skills and training that goes into becoming a truly successful movie slasher villain. The first 2/3rds of this movie is just hilarious.
Vampire Horror DVDs
Let The Right One In - A Swedish vampire movie (find more Swedish horror movies here) about a 12-year old boy who's bullied in school and the (seeming) 12-year old vampire girl who arrives to help him with his problems. Apparently, this is being adapted into an American version called "Let Them In", which should completely butcher the whole premise.
The Lost Boys: Special Edition - Another 1987 classic, this one about some hip young vampire-hunters (hip for the Eighties). The Lost Boys featured one of the first-known cases of the water soaker filled with holy water, and now we get to watch this DVD in a special edition.
Twilight - This one isn't for everybody, but the teenagers and women folk sure seem to like it. I read the book for a book club I'm in and I'll say this: the movie isn't nearly as bad as the book. Sure, that Edward Cullen fellow looks like a complete pansy-ass in that silly pale makeup, but Kristen Stewart is as hot as high holy hell.
Monster Squad - Have you ever wondered what would happen if Dracula, the Wolfman, the Mummy, the Frankenstein Monster and the Lagoon Creature went on a road trip and ended up in a small American town? Watch this 1987 film and you'll get your answers.
Fright Night - When a vampire moves in next door, the neighborhood kids recruit a local tv vampire-hunter to help them defeat the evil growing in their midst. Fright Night is a fun vampire movie that holds up even after all these years.
Zombie Horror DVDs
28 Days Later - When a zombie virus gets loose in the U.K., it takes 28 days to sweep across the islands and end civilization. Now, the survivors are trying to come to terms and live to beat back the zombie invasion. Pioneered the "fast zombie" fad made famous by Zack Snyder's Dawn of the Dead remake 2 years later.
Dawn of the Dead (Remake) - Speaking of which, the Dawn of the Dead remake was awesome. While this was criticized by George Romero for its lack of "social criticism", Zack Snyder realized that zombie movies weren't put on this Earth specifically to make a comment about modern society and instead just made a highly entertaining movie. Features a great soundtrack.
House of the Dead - If you like really bad B-movies, look no further than House of the Dead by Uwe Bohl. That name should tell you everything you want to know about this movie, which received a 4% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and came in #41 on the worst movies of the decade of the 2000's. Considered yourself warned. On the positive side, House of the Dead features an early appearance by Erica Durance, who went on to achieve fame as Lois Lane on Smallville.
Shaun of the Dead - Everybody loves Shaun of the Dead, which pokes sly fun at the campy zombie horror genre. When a zombie apocalypse breaks out in London, all that Shaun and friends can think about is getting to the safety of their favorite pub. At its core, Shaun of the Dead is a love story.